Chapter 32: Chapter 32

“Annie… Annie Sanders?!” Emily’s face twisted with disbelief, checking over and over if her eyes were messing with her. “No way… that can’t be…” A person’s look might switch up with makeup and threads, but their core couldn’t be faked just like that. That was built over years of living. She could easily see through any front. After watching people for decades, how could she have made such a huge goof?

Selena felt red–faced, sighing, “Mom, please, just quit it.” The more she carried on, the more cringe it got.

Around them, the chatter started. “Ain’t that Mrs. Gale? I remember she despised Annie the most. Why’s she heading toward her now?” a ma said.

“Maybe she didn’t recognize her. I was shocked too when I found out she was Annie.” A woman answered.

“Heard she’s trying to hook up her son with someone. Could she be eyeing Annie as a daughter–in–law? Ha!” the man scoffed.

“Depends on if the other side’s willing. Can’t climb up the ladder when ya ditch them when they’re plain and then come crawling back when they’re dolled up.” The woman gave Emily a side eye.

In this scene, with these jokes swirling around, Emily felt lost face, losing her cool.

“Mom, just saw Mrs. Ramirez looking for you.” Selena quickly cooked up a reason and slyly whisked her mom away cared more the room.

Annie peeped at Emily’s strained smile and couldn’t help but chuckle. Found it funny how even now, Emil about keeping face than being made fun of. The expected guest hadn’t shown up yet, so Annie casually Suddenly, her peepers snagged on something by the hallway. She wondered, ‘Hold up… Did I just see Jackson?‘ Shaking her head, she took a second look but saw nothing. Rubbing her cheek, she pondered with a shiver, ‘How much mental whammy did that guy inflict for me to start seeing things?‘

***

“That sneaky Annie! If I get a shot, I won’t stop until she’s down!” Selena gritted her teeth, staring with pure hatred.

“Taking her out’s a cinch, ain’t it?” Yolanda had been eyeing Annie for a hot minute. She seethed in her heart, ‘She is just a rustic type; no matter how decked out, she is still plain ol‘ rustic. Plus, she yanked all my fancy goods. I still have a beef with her!‘

Selena turned to her, asking, “Got a plan?”

Yolanda motioned to the lemon water on the table, raising an eyebrow all smug. “Forgot about this?”

Selena stifled a laugh. “You always come up with the slickest ideas.”

At a previous shindig, they purposely dished out lemon water meant for scrubbing hands to Annie, and she actually lapped it up. Today’s bash wasn’t like those small–time hangouts of yore If a ruckus kicked off, they’d get jeered at and snickered at by the entire Betrico upper crust. Yolanda thought, ‘No matter how smooth she acts now, she can’t mask her shallow and gaudy style!‘

With resolve, Yolanda grabbed a tall glass and topped it up with the lemon water meant for scrubbing. “Annie.” Flashing a strained smile, she shuffled over to Annie.

Annie was kinda taken aback seeing Yolanda, but once she clocked the lemon water in her hand, everything clicked. She wondered why Yolanda was all of a sudden seeking her out–it couldn’t be for any good reason. When she first landed in Betrico, she didn’t know the lay of the land and got duped into a bunch of embarrassing antics by the Sanders sisters. Sipping lemon hand–wash water was one of those goofs.

Yolanda made her way to Annie with a grin. “Annie, parched? Seems like you’ve been holding back. Brought ya a glass of lemon water.”

Annie shot her a crafty smile, gazing back with interest, saying nothing.

Even with Annie’s eyes locked on her, Yolanda pushed through, “What’s the deal? Didn’t ya say you dug it last time?”

Annie smirked, “Ever heard the phrase, ‘Now ain’t then‘?”

“What?” Yolanda was lost.

“Nothing.” Annie casually took the lemon water from her offering hand.

Yolanda breathed easier. She knew Annie wasn’t one to switch lanes. But she smelled something fishy! In a blink, her eyes widened, her grin frozen. Annie turned around and handed the lemon water straight to Jeremy, who was making his way towards her.

“Annie?” Jeremy was caught off guard when Annie called out to him as soon as he arrived, puzzled as she slid him the lemon water.

Annie offered up a playful smile, dimples popping. “Take a swig “For me… to drink?” Jeremy wondered if he was hearing things right. He asked in his heart, ‘Wait, didn’t she know this stuff was for rinsing hands?‘

Yolanda’s heart leaped to her throat. Never in her wildest dreams did she think Annie would offer the lemon water to Jeremy! She hurried to speak up, “Jeremy, you can’t gulp that down!”

“Why not?” Annie cocked her head innocently, her beautiful eyes showing a mix of confusion and innocence. All of a sudden, she seemed to catch on, “Is there something up with this water?”

Yolanda was freaked out, clueless on how to clear things up. She was caught in a jam–fess up to handing Annie some funky hand sanitizer, leaving a real bad vibe around Jeremy or owning up to spiking her own sister’s drink, taking the weirdness a notch. After stumbling over her words, she blurted, “I, uh… Lmessed up and gave you the wrong drink. I’ll snag you a fresh cup, yeah?” Reaching for Jeremy’s cup, she glanced up, meeting his cold–as–ice stare. Her gut twisted. Clearly, Jeremy was not feeling her. “Jeremy… I swear, let me explain…”

Jeremy’s voice sliced through the tension, frosty. “No need to explain anything to me. Smart women do smart moves, and I don’t dig this kind of sneaky stuff.”

Annie, looking clueless, cut in, “What’s all this about?”

Jeremy flashed a smile, hiding his true feelings. “Nothing, lemon water ain’t your vibe. Let’s swap it for a blueberry juice.”

Annie kindly nodded. “Thanks, Jeremy.”

Watching their exchange, Yolanda, burned with envy, cheeks flushed with anger.

Turning to Yolanda, Annie’s smile held a sly note. “Yolanda, all these games with the hand washing water? No need.”

Yolanda’s body tensed up; she barked, “You knew it?!”

Annie smiled mysteriously, “What do you reckon?”

Yolanda fired back, “Then why’d you pass it to Jeremy? You set me up with this stunt!”

Running her hand through her hair, Annie didn’t bother denying it. “So what? Catch my drift now.”

Yolanda fumed, mind racing, “I’ll blab to Jeremy! I’ll tell him it was you behind all this!”

Annie chuckled. “He won’t buy it. Ain’t you learned from last time? Hold onto that lesson tight?”

Yolanda stumbled, words failing. Yep, Jeremy wouldn’t trust her, even with her explainer. Annie played sharp as a tack, her cunning depths way beyond what they expected.